


running out of breath

by wickedlittleoz



Series: bad, bad medicine [1]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Car Sex, Homophobic Language, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia, Post-Season/Series 02, Unbeta'd, a lot of kissing loads of it, and that would be cheating too, mentions to steve/nancy and then jonathan/nancy, some drama and then some
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-27
Updated: 2017-12-27
Packaged: 2019-02-22 08:51:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13163484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wickedlittleoz/pseuds/wickedlittleoz
Summary: He brushed his lips against Jonathan’s softly, wondering where the fuck that had come from. A year ago they hated each other, but he figured fighting Demogorgons together changed certain relationships.Steve was trying to pull away (and Jonathan’s arms were still tightly wound around his waist) when he heard the steps.And out of all the people in school that could have walked in on them, Billy Hargrove was the absolute worst case scenario.





	running out of breath

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from Bon Jovi's Bad Medicine. This is part one of three.

It was a stupidly warm afternoon, that is, for Hawkins. Or maybe it was because they were hiding under the bleachers like a couple of high school valentines, or maybe it was because Jonathan’s eyes gleamed in the sunlight that seeped through the cracks in the wood as he looked down at Steve, he didn’t know. But he knew he was spacing out and Jonathan looked worried – he didn’t like the look in his face when he was worried, it felt wrong.

Jonathan had wanted to talk, said he’d wanted to apologize, and they hadn’t talked since that night in his car two weeks ago, so Steve was more than wary. While part of him was terrified that this was something to do with Will, he knew deep down that they didn’t have to hide under the fucking bleachers to discuss the Upside Down. No, this was something else. And Jonathan bringing up Nancy, saying he was sorry about breaking Steve’s trust, didn’t quite feel like the final truth, either.

So Steve waited. Not so patiently.

“It’s alright, man,” he found himself saying, tugging at the hair in his nape awkwardly. “I guess I knew I was losing her. But I’m glad it’s you.”

He said simply, because it was true. Nancy deserved someone nice, caring, respectful, who didn’t pride himself only in being the King of school and had his priorities straight. She deserved the man Steve was trying to become _now_ , after the whole thing with the kids. The man Jonathan had been for years.

Jonathan shook his head, looking down, and Steve mourned the loss of the sunlight on his face. “You were good to her. I think she… I think she still loves you, sort of.”

_And I still love her_ , Steve had wanted to say, but it was pointless and obvious. He shifted uncomfortably and when Jonathan looked back up, Steve thought he saw something familiar flaring in his eyes.

_Steve had had a nightmare. He woke up screaming and covered in sweat and one hundred percent certain that there was a Demogorgon in the Byer’s living room. He didn’t even think twice before taking the car and driving all the way to their house. But upon arriving, he’d found peace and tranquility, and Joyce’s car parked in the entrance, and a soft bluish gleam in the living room that informed him someone was watching the tele. He sighed, partly relieved, partly ashamed, and decided to park there for some time, first because he wasn’t going back to sleep, second because he could never be too careful around those things._

_The car had come up the road about half an hour later. It was Jonathan’s and he was alone – and late. He put out the lights when he saw Steve’s car and parked next to him instead of going up to his own house first. They both rolled down their windows._

_“Hey man, what’s up,” Steve had said, and then he’d_ really _looked at Jonathan and saw._

_Vodka. He’d been drinking._

_“Hey,” was all Jonathan could muster._

_Steve laughed a little because he could understand. The whole thing, the Upside Down and shit, still felt surreal at times. And then at other times it felt_ too _real. Like that night. Drinking was one way to make your brain fuzzy enough that it felt just like a dream._

_Jonathan held out the bottle for him and Steve took a swing, relishing in the way the alcohol warmed his insides. Soon enough Jonathan was sitting in his passenger seat and they were sharing the bottle and some cigarettes._

_“How’s Will doing?”_

_“Fine,” Jonathan grumbled and took a long drag of the Camel before passing it over to Steve. “Nightmares and shit, but he’s happy again. Warm. Alive.”_

_Steve had wanted to ask about Jonathan, but Joyce’s name slipped out instead. She, as it turned out, was “fine”, too._

_He realized then that the air, the atmosphere inside the car felt strange. Charged, with electricity. He’d thought it was just the way his stomach had been knotting since he’d woken from the dream, but even now, as Jonathan sat by his side, Steve had trouble breathing and it seemed his friend wasn’t doing much better._

_He held out the cigarette for Jonathan and their fingers brushed when he took it, which was pretty normal and regular, but this time, maybe because of the alcohol, it felt different. Like Jonathan’s skin was flaming hot and it burned Steve’s as it grazed his fingers. Steve looked between their hands and up to Jonathan’s face, and then Jonathan was wrapping his lips around the cigarette and for a moment Steve thought his mouth was beautiful._

_His eyes found Jonathan’s and the man’s blue orbs were watching him intently, dark, heavy, pupils blown in the dark. Steve didn’t sigh. He didn’t even breathe. He just leaned forward and kissed him, because Jonathan had thrown the cigarette out of the window, like he’d somehow predicted or wanted this as much as Steve._

_It was soft and slow at first, and Steve tasted the smoke and the alcohol and something that was brand new to him – Jonathan himself. Then suddenly it was hot and fast, teeth and tongues, and Steve was leaning over him, and Jonathan was letting him._

_They rolled up the windows, locked the car, moved to the back. Had the most mind-blowing sex of Steve’s life parked right across the street from Jonathan’s house._

_And then they didn’t talk about it. For two whole weeks._

 

But now Jonathan was looking at him that same way he had in his car, and this time there was no alcohol to fool him, or nightmare to make him giddy. There was just the two of them and something in Jonathan’s eyes that had Steve thinking _this_ was what he wanted to talk about, this, _them_.

Steve kissed him. Again.

And again Jonathan welcomed him as if he’d seen it coming, hands searching for Steve’s body and pulling him flush. Steve’s fingers curled into his hair and he parted his lips to deepen the kiss, because just as that night, he felt _thirsty_ and Jonathan, it seemed, was touch-starved, because one of his hands was already slipping under Steve’s shirt at the small of his back.

They kissed, and then broke for air, and then kissed again. Moaning and breathing into each other’s mouths, and Steve thought yeah, maybe they were stupid teenagers hiding under the bleachers to fuck, because he could already feel heat coiling in his stomach and the only thing he could focus on was the other boy’s mouth on his.

Then he felt Jonathan’s growing erection press against his thigh and it was like being pulled back down to reality, Steve must have literally deflated. Because this was a guy, and not just any guy – this was Jonathan Byers, his _ex-girlfriend’s boyfriend_. And Steve, he’d done Nancy wrong a number of times, one of which actually included Jonathan, so he couldn’t do it again.

“We should talk about this,” Steve breathed into Jonathan’s mouth.

Jonathan slowed down a little. “I know,” he said as he pressed his forehead to Steve’s.

He brushed his lips against Jonathan’s softly, wondering where the fuck that had come from. A year ago they hated each other, but he figured fighting Demogorgons together changed certain relationships.

Steve was trying to pull away (and Jonathan’s arms were still tightly wound around his waist) when he heard the steps.

“Well, well, well.”

And out of all the people in school that could have walked in on them, Billy Hargrove was the absolute worst case scenario.

“Can’t say I didn’t expect it from you, Byers, but Harrington, I’m surprised,” Billy flashed them that psycho smile as he stood two feet from them, cigarette in one hand, the other in the pocket of his jacket.

They pulled apart quickly, putting the greatest distance possible between them, and Steve saw Jonathan turn bright red.

Billy laughed wholeheartedly, until Steve, on an impulse, threw himself at him, grabbing at the collars of his unbuttoned shirt and putting on his best impression of the old King Steve.

“Listen here, Hargove,” he said through his teeth. “You ain’t gonna say shit about this, alright? You’re gonna walk away and pretend you didn’t see anything.”

Billy didn’t seem at all shaken. He stood his ground, kept that smug, satisfied grin on his face and looked down at Steve. “Or what, Harrington?”

Steve hadn’t really thought it through. He still at times relied on his old fame to get what he wanted, but it never really worked on Billy. Behind him he could hear shuffling, which meant Jonathan was pacing nervously, but Billy’s eyes were still glued to his.

“Alright, Hargrove. Tell on us, then,” he gave, nervously. “But when they ask how you knew that we were down here, what will you say?”

It was pointless, and Steve knew.

Billy grinned wider, “That you two fags were at it so hard that I heard you all the way from the gym. How’s it sound?”

There was something behind Billy’s eyes, behind the absolute mocking _delight_ , that Steve couldn’t quite name – but then, there was _always_ something unreadable in Billy’s eyes. He waited a heartbeat, two, three. Then sneered down at Steve, “What is it, Harrington? Cat got your tongue? Or was it Byers?”

“Shut up, Hargrove!” Jonathan spat, walking up to them.

Billy eyed them both quietly for a minute, then licked his lips that way that made Steve feel things he _shouldn’t_. “Tell you what, fags. This is what we’re gonna do.”

And out of no-fucking-where, Billy Hargrove, the fucking unpredictable powder keg he was, leaned in and kissed Steve.

It was nothing close to soft, calm or passionate. Like everything Billy Hargrove did, it was furious and aggressive. Their teeth clinked and he bit a lot into Steve’s lip, and it was fast and confusing and _hot_. It left Steve breathless and wide-eyed.

He pushed Steve away at last when he was done. Looked between the two, eyes lingering on Steve’s swollen lips. Smiled like the maniac that he was.

“This _our_ secret now.”

And just like that, Billy was gone.

**Author's Note:**

> Huge thanks to Jimmy for quite literally holding my hand through this and pushing me to write it AND helping me with the titles for all three fics, cause we know I suck at titles.  
> This is gonna be a series of 03! Titles for the series and this fic were taken from Bon Jovi's Bad Medicine, and for the other two we chose other kickass classic rock songs as well.
> 
> So we realized the world was missing out on the beauty that is Jonathan/Steve/Billy, so I rolled up my sleeves and got to work. Hopefully this series doesn't suck and ya'll fall in love with the OT3 as much as we have.  
> Also this is unbeta'd, so forgive any mistakes, really and please.  
> Have fun~  
> xx


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